Home Is Where The Heart Is
by Silver Moon Lit Forest
Summary: Naruto never knew what he was walking into when he saved Sasuke from getting his face beat in. He had no clue exactly who Sasuke was and the truth would change his life for ever.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto and I actually don't own Evayra. That name came from the lovely mind of Kirukakiru.

**Author's Note: **This took me way too long to get done. I am sorry for that and i am also sorry for how short it is. I hope you enjoy it!

_Read, review, and please enjoy!_

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><p>Naruto yawned loudly, blonde hair run through with one strip of shocking red falling in his eyes as he shrugged his backpack high on his shoulder. He slowly made his way down the street, steps evenly measured. He was purposely trying to be late, knowing there was little chance of his teacher showing up on time. The damn man didn't see to own a watch. Naruto had no clue how his professor kept his job. It might have to do with the fact that Kakashi's Literature class was one of the hardest classes in the whole college, though.<p>

The blonde sighed, not looking forward to three hours of the silver haired man's monotone voice. Nothing exciting ever seemed to happen in his life. He went to school, came home and repeated the process. He sometimes hung out with friends, but his father was beyond strict with him making good grades. The blonde had no delusions that Kyuubi would, in fact cut off all money and take back his apartment and make Naruto move back home. And since the Uzumaki did not want that, he worked his ass off getting good grades.

Shikamaru, the lazy ass, could pass easily without much work at all. Naruto on the other hand, had to study his ass off. He was basically a zombie during exams, more so than other students. He got so little sleep that he usually fell asleep in his desk as soon as he finished the damn test.

The blonde paused, blue eyes looking up to the cloudy sky. Half the sky was eclipsed by a large plant that was nearly identical to Earth, but was full of lush forests and rolling hills. There were few deserts and one tundra. Naruto remembered having to learn about it in grade school. He'd never been too concerned with it. All he really remembered was its name, Evayra.

The natives of Evayra looked just like humans did, body wise anyways. But their hair could be any color of the rainbow and their eyes...Something had always been off about their eyes to the blonde, like they saw more than people thought they did. But that wasn't the oddest part of them. What was really strange was the cat like appendages some of them had. Ear, tails, fangs, and cat like reflexes. But not every Evayraian had them. According to Shikamaru, it was mostly the upper class that sported the furry appendages. Evayra had been there for generations, and slowly but surely, Earth had accepted its natives into their own world.

Many of the younger Evayraians went to schools on Earth. It was similar to going to school abroad. Naruto was friends with a few of the students, and knew many of them in his classes. He even worked with one down at the local music shop. They weren't bad people, but like everyone in the world who was deemed different, there were people who hated them. Earth's government had ended up having to make new laws pertaining to these forms of hate, and the worst of the racism died down before Naruto had been born. But the blonde saw it on a daily basis at school and had gotten into many fights over it. His father hadn't been too harsh on him about that. The older man himself had been in many scraps protecting others, which was the reason the man had went into the Army and then retired to the police force when his wife had died ten years ago.

Naruto himself was well versed in many martial arts and even knew how to use a gun properly. His father had made sure his son could handle himself just fine and that was exactly what Naruto was known around campus for doing.

The blonde sighed to himself, figuring he had wasted enough time lost in thought. It wouldn't do to get to class _after _that lazy professor of his. The blonde started forward again, sky blue eyes open and taking in everything around him. He had been observant and curious by nature and his dad had made him even more so. But that didn't help him much in school.

Just as he was round the corner leading onto main campus, the blonde's well trained ears picked up the sounds of a scuffle. Naruto paused, trying to pick up the precise direction the noises were coming from. A sudden loud scream made the location very clear. The blonde raced down the street, coming to an alleyway veering off the street. He skidded to a stop as he rounded the corner.

The three large men, all of who Naruto recognized from their school football team, had a smaller man pushed up against the wall. One had him pinned while the others took turns punching the guy in the gut. As the blonde watched, one of the stockier guys smiled evilly and slammed his fist in the slighter man's groin, resulting in an agonizing scream.

Before the man could repeat the action, Naruto had him by the hair. The blonde growled darkly as he jerked the man backwards, slamming him against the brick wall behind him. He took down the second man while he was still staring in shock. A knee to the gut and one good punch that resounded in a satisfying crack put the man down. The guy who had been pinning the smaller man to the wall, dropped the kid in a heap on the ground. Naruto didn't give the man a chance to flee.

The Uzumaki landed one solid punch to the man's face and down he went. He turned to the man he'd originally pulled off the kid. The jock was trying to stand, but the crack to the back of his head from where Naruto had slammed him against it was hindering his efforts. The blonde approached the man, a smile curling his lips. The jock blinked up at him, but instead of receiving a blow to the face, Naruto returned the _favor_ the man had seemed so keen on dishing out to the smaller man. The jock doubled over with a small scream as Naruto's steel toed boot connected solidly with his groin.

Naruto brushed his hair out his eyes, casting a sensory look around the small area. All men were down. Blue eyes finally settled on the small man who had curled up on his side in a fetal position. Dark bangs obscured his face, but an angular chin peaked out from the mass of hair. He looks somewhat familiar but the blonde was better with faces than by recognizing someone by hair color. Though, this guy's hair was a black so dark it looked shot through with blue when the sun hit it. His skin was a creamy, white, so pale it was nearly translucent.

The blonde crouched down, balancing perfectly on the balls of his feet. He brushed the guy's sweaty bangs from his face. His face wasn't as angular as Naruto would have first assumed. In fact, Naruto's initial thought was that the guy was beautiful and then he opened his eyes. The word almost slipped past the blonde's lips.

Obsidian eyes so black Naruto couldn't tell where his irises ended and his pupils began, blinked up at him. It was like falling into the deepest, darkest part of the sea.

"You okay?" Naruto asked before he thought better of it. The man on the ground gave him a dull look and the blonde smiled apologetically. Of course he wasn't okay. He'd basically just gotten his ass kicked. He opened his mouth to ask if he could walk and then thought better of it. Instead of asking any more questions, Naruto none to delicacy hefted the smaller man into his arms.

The raven gave a protesting squeak as the blonde jostled his aching body. Slender hands cupped his aching balls gingerly and he turned to glare at Naruto. The blonde gave him a shining grin. He snagged both their bags on the way out of the alley, earning another protesting noise as the blonde resituated the smaller man.

Naruto studied the raven's face as he walked towards the school infirmary. The smaller man had looked familiar for a reason. He was in Naruto's lit class. He was a transfer student from Evayra. His name was…"Sasuke."

The raven's head jerked around at the sound of his name. He'd know the blonde had looked familiar, but he never really looked people in face. It wasn't that he was shy; he just didn't want people to remember him. But this brut of a man apparently had. The blonde was a good foot taller than him, standing at nearly six feet if Sasuke had to guess. He still couldn't think of the blonde's name.

"Who are you?" the raven asked bluntly, casting as glance up at the blonde's face. The man grinned down at him and Sasuke turned away when he was nearly blinded by the brightness of it. But when he turned his face away from the blonde he was greeted by the questioning faces of his peers. So Sasuke settled for the lesser evil. He turned his face towards Naruto's chest, shaking his hair so his bangs hid his features.

"Naruto. My name's Naruto." Sasuke was startled out of his thoughts by the sound of the blonde's voice. Naruto. He had lit class with him, which they were now both late for. Sasuke titled his head in acknowledgement. He wasn't one to waste his breath talking. Naruto already knew this though. He had observed the raven for the better half of a semester.

There was nothing else said between the two of them as they made their way to the infirmary. Even though Naruto was generally a loud person, he respected the fact that Sasuke wasn't in the mood to speak. The blonde walked briskly into the nurse's office, swiftly depositing the raven on a bed.

The blonde insisted on staying while the nurse checked over the raven's injuries, much to Sasuke's annoyance. The nurse smiled brightly at the two of them as Sasuke once again tried to make the stubborn blond leave. Naruto only rolled his eyes.

By the time Sasuke could walk again, their lecture was half way through. Naruto insisted showing up for the last half of it, knowing full well that his father would slit his throat if Kakashi told him Naruto had skipped the class. Sasuke, who didn't feel like arguing, decided it was in his better interests to go along with the blonde. He was smart enough to pass even if he missed a few classes, but he had nowhere else to be.

"Nice of you to join us." Kakashi's monotone voice sounded as soon as they entered the room. Naruto gave his professor a bright smile and flopped down in an empty seat. Everyone in the class gave them questioning looks as Sasuke took the last empty seat beside Naruto. The raven pointed ignored the looks, pulling out his laptop as while Naruto sat a tape recorder at the front of his desk.

"We ran into a few issues," the blonde told his professor. Kakashi raised an eyebrow but questioned no further. The man continued on with his lecture, glancing at the pair every few moments. There were many questions on the tip of his tongue but the elder man knew what ever happened was none of his business. None of his business, that is, until he was confronted about the fight later that day in the teacher's lounge.

When the lecture ended, Naruto shoved the tape recorder back in his bag and slung his bag on his shoulder. He was half way to the door when a hand caught his arm. Naruto turned to find Sasuke grinding his teeth together.

"Thank you." The words came loud and clear to Naruto's ear drums. The raven's voice was husky, but had no stutter to it. The blonde smiled brightly at Sasuke.

"Why don't you take me out for coffee before I have to go to work and we call it even," Naruto answered brightly. Sasuke started, mouth opening to protest but the blonde was already walking away. Sasuke sighed, and followed behind, a small smile playing across his lips. Never in his life had he met someone like Naruto. His family would have scoffed at the brash treatment of their son…But that was another time and another place. A time he was trying to put behind him…Well, more like running from it.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So, this is a big set up for so much storyline and plenty of lemons. I know I'mscrewing myself, I just know it, but I think I like where I'm going to try and take this story. Even though I'm still not sure where that might exactly be. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story, JaydenNara. I hope it was worth the wait. And I will keep apologizing for how long it took. .


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ and I sure as hell make no money from writing this.

**Author's Note:** Here we are with chapter two! Enjoy folks!

_Read, review, and please enjoy!_

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><p>Naruto watched as Sasuke talked animatedly about his older brother, who seemed to be the bane of his existence. But the blonde recognized the admiration and love gleaming in the dark depths of the raven's eyes. He'd never know the other male could talk this much. He'd always seemed quite, a loner, and Naruto figured that was what he was at heart. But something about being saved from being beaten to a bloody pulp by the Uzumaki seemed to have opened Sasuke to him. And boy was he beautiful when he talked.<p>

The raven's voice was soft; just loud enough for Naruto to hear. It seemed to sink into the blonde's skin, sending shivers down his spine. Natural blue highlights gleamed in his hair where the sun hit it when Sasuke moved. Small, pale hands waved in the air as he spoke, soft pink lips seeming to invite the blonde in. Before he knew it, Naruto was leaning closer across the table, eyes and ears taking in as much of the Uchiha as he could.

He was supposed to meet Shikamaru and Kiba in nearly thirty minutes and he still needed to go home. But he didn't want to leave this beautiful alluring creature. Never in his life had Naruto been entranced so fully with someone. He could sit there for hours happily listening to Sasuke talk.

A hand waved in front of his face, and the blonde realized that Sasuke had stopped talking. The raven was staring at him, biting his lower lip. The blonde's eyes locked on the small peak of white teeth against the fullness of the Uchiha's lip.

"What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?" the Uchiha question, one hand coming up to wipe across his lips and chin. Naruto suppressed the shudder that ran through his body at the action. He leaned back slowly, hands coming up behind his head. He observed the smaller man for a few more moments, wondering just how he could be so entranced with this boy when he'd barely noticed him before. They'd been in the same class for over half a semester now, why was it he was only noticing Sasuke now? Well, like his dad liked to say, once your eyes are open to something of importance, they can never again be shut to it. And Naruto doubted he'd ever be able ignore the raven again.

The blonde checked the watch on his wrist. If he left now, he'd have just enough time to run by the house before meeting with the guys. They were supposed to all met up tonight at the new bar near where Shikamaru lived. But the blonde was reluctant to leave Sasuke just yet. Staring at the raven, who was still trying to figure out what was up with the blonde, Naruto made a split second decision.

He stood, grabbing his empty coffee cup and the raven's. He threw them in the trashcan that was nearly half way across the room, earning an evil look from the owner. The blonde hefted his backpack on his shoulder, flashing a grin Sasuke's way.

"Come on," Naruto said as he moved towards the door. Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows, and Naruto found even those little creases were cute on the raven.

"Where are we going?" Sasuke asked as he slowly got up from his chair. He gently settled his messenger bag across his chest, making sure not to press hard against his still tender chest.

"My house." Sasuke pulled up short just outside the door. He did the horror movie turn to look at the blonde. Naruto couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up from that look.

"I'm not going to attack you," Naruto chuckled, clapping the raven gently on the shoulder, "Though you do look cute enough to eat." He whispered the last bit in the raven's ear as he moved past him. He glanced back at Sasuke just in time to catch the startled look on the raven's face. A light blush dusted him cheeks before the raven recomposed himself and Naruto had to muffle his chuckle at the look.

He paused at the street corner, turning to watch the raven slowly make his way over. Sasuke stopped a good foot away from him. The raven glanced over at him, eyes catching Naruto's briefly before he huffed and turned to watch the cars pass by. But he was fiddling with the strap of his bag, giving away his emotions to the blonde.

Naruto smiled at the reaction. So, he now knew the Uchiha wasn't as stoic and indifferent as he appeared to be. He was actually quite intriguing to the blonde. _I could watch him all day,_ the blonde thought as the light changed and they moved across the street. Every one of Sasuke's gestures was graceful in a way only Evayraians seemed to have. They were almost cat like with the way they moved at times.

"Why are we going to your house?" the Raven questioned as he fell into step by the Uzumaki. Naruto glanced at him, eyes taking in the way his legs moved as he walked each stride sure and even.

"To drop off out stuff." Sasuke's brow furrowed at the response. "You keep doing that and you'll have wrinkles before you're thirty." This earned the blonde a glare that made him laugh out loud.

"We're going out tonight."

"We?" Sasuke paused to look at the blonde. Naruto stopped as well, turning to look the Uchiha in the eyes.

"You, me and a few of my friends," Naruto answered, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "Come on, Mr. Loner. It's good to have some fun every now and then. Besides, I'd wager you don't get out often." Sasuke gave him an affronted look, but seemed to be considering the idea.

"But I have a test I need to study for." Naruto gave him a dull look.

"Sasuke, you haven't studied a day in your life, have you?" The raven looked like he wanted to punch him. Naruto decided his new hobby should be teasing his new friend.

"I don't do outings." That was more than apparent with the way the raven acted around others. But what Naruto really wanted to see was the Uchiha open up and let loose a little. He was willing to bet the lithe man was even more alluring when he let his hair down.

"I'm not taking no for an answer." The pushy blonde told him. Sasuke balked at him and the gasped when the Uzumaki took two steps forward and grabbed the raven's hand.

"Hey!" Sasuke protested, tugging on his hand. But the blonde's grip was secure. It was hard enough to hurt, but there was no way the raven could get free. So, Sasuke grudgingly followed behind the Uzumaki, cursing the fact that this irritating man had saved his life. The Uchiha felt he owed the blonde something, even though Naruto had said the coffee was payment enough. Coffee could never make up for what Naruto had done for him. Sasuke hated violence with a passion. A childhood of it could do that to a person. He swore years ago he would never strike a person.

He couldn't deny the fact that the idea had crossed his mind when the three men had cornered him. Those men were no more than school yard bullies who still hadn't grown out of their immature ways. And probably never would.

It didn't take them long to reach the blonde's small but lavish apartment. Sasuke paused inside the door, eyes wide as they took in the sight of Naruto's home. He hadn't expected the blonde's place to be so clean. There was a small table beside the door, where Naruto had tossed his keys. He grinned at Sasuke's raised eyebrow. "I'll lose them otherwise," he's told the Uchiha.

When he walked into the small living area, he'd been surprised to find books littering the coffee table. He picked one up, an old paper back romance novel. Sasuke chuckled at this new piece of information as he sat the book back down. The rest of the books consisted of Stephen King's _Salem's Lot,_ a Dean Kootz book and a few by Lee Child. The romance novel looked really out of place amongst the rest of the books.

"I like variety." Sasuke jumped at the sudden sound of the blonde's voice. He blushed; embarrassed that he had been caught snooping. Naruto grinned at him. The blonde had tossed his book bag on the couch and was making his way down a small hallway. Sasuke followed, still taking in the apartment. The kitchen was clean but looked well used. Everything seemed to have its place. The coffee pot was pushed up against the wall between the toaster and the microwave. A well-used spice rack sat next to the stove and a lone pot sat on the stove. The little pot looked out of place, as if it had just been discarded there.

Sasuke finally made his way back to the blonde's bedroom, and paused in the door way. The tiny room currently looked as if a clothing tornado had hit it. And more clothing was flying out of the closet to his left as the raven watch. A sudden happy exclamation made the Uchiha jump. Naruto appeared out of the closet, a shirt in hand. He tossed it to Sasuke, who caught it on reflex.

"Put that on." Sasuke stared at the blonde as Naruto began picking through the clothes now spread across his bed room floor. The Uchiha was still staring at him when Naruto finally looked up, a tee and jeans in hand.

"You can't wear that to a club." The blonde waved a hand at Sasuke's outfit, which consisted of a button down shirt with a sweater over it. "The sweater thing, I meant," Naruto corrected himself as he gave the raven a once over that made Sasuke's blood run hot. "The jeans you have on are fine."

Did this man really expect Sasuke to wear someone else's clothes? Especially a person he had only met that day. But it seemed Naruto fully expected it and apparently wasn't beyond threats to get the raven to change.

"You can change your own shirt, right?" Naruto teased, tugging his own shirt over his head. The blonde didn't miss the way dark eyes roamed his muscled upper body. And he smirked at Sasuke when the raven's eyes met his. Sasuke blushed and turned to stare at the wall.

"Do I need to do it for you?" Naruto questioned, taking a step towards the smaller man. Sasuke gave him a seething look and quickly jerked his sweater over his head. The garment was lad on the back of the blonde's computer chair, so it didn't get lost in all the clothes on the floor. He quickly unbuttoned his shirt, sliding the fabric easily down his arms. He turned his back, embarrassment and modesty two emotions he wasn't quite used too. He could feel Naruto's eyes on him and he knew exactly what he was thinking. The blonde wasn't exactly hiding his advances, but he wasn't out right coming onto Sasuke, either. Which was actually refreshing for the Uchiha.

Sasuke slipped the soft cotton fabric over his head, and smoothed his hands down the front of the black shirt to smooth out what wrinkles he could. He turned around to find the blonde half dressed. Naruto's dark jeans were slung low on his hips and he was yet to do the up. He was too busy tugging a light blue shirt over his head.

"I'll be in the living room," Sasuke told him in a rush. His body felt hot- needy- and it annoyed the Uchiha to no end. Never in his life had he be like this, with anyone, male or female. Though, he'd had a feeling he like his own sex more than the opposite for some time now, but he'd never acted on these suspicions. But now, with lust rushing through his veins and pool low in his body, the Uchiha couldn't deny what he was feeling. He knew the basics of sex, even though he himself was still a virgin. The Uchiha had never had the chance to get to know anyone well enough, but that hadn't stopped some people from trying.

The reasons for his move to Earth were still hidden from many of his family members. Only his mother and brother knew. Everyone else thought he was just trying to learn more about Earth's culture. No one ever suspected he was running from something- someone.

"Let's go." Naruto's deep voice jerked Sasuke out of his thoughts. The blonde strode across his living room, not even waiting for the Uchiha to speak. Sasuke's lips pulled into a thin line, but he followed none the less. He was intrigued by the Uzumaki, in more ways than were appropriate. And there was something about Naruto that he trusted. Whether it had to do with the fact that the blonde had saved him, or that he felt relaxed in his company, Sasuke didn't know. But he accepted the knowledge for what it was and went with it. He was trying to make a habit of being more social, as hard as it was, and making a friend was a big step in that.

He followed the blonde out the door, and back down to street level. Naruto tugged a set of car keys out of his pocket and made his way over to a large red Jeep Wrangler. Sasuke stared at the car, fear rising in him. He had always hated cars, ever since his first visit to Earth as a kid. They always felt like they were closing in on him, and he tended to freak out.

Naruto paused, glancing over his shoulder and catching the stricken look on Sasuke's face. The blonde wondered what was wrong and then followed the raven's gaze. When he realized that the Uchiha was staring at his car as if it was a two headed monster that was about to eat him whole, it clicked in Naruto's head. The raven didn't like cars. Shikamaru didn't care much for them either, but he'd never looked like he wanted to run for the hills at the thought of riding in one. Maybe it was just a Evayraian thing.

Without missing a beat, Naruto began the process of removing the soft top that covered the Jeep. He stored in a compartment in the back and then turned to grin at Sasuke. The Uchiha's look of amazement made the blonde laugh.

"Come on, we'll be late if we don't hurry." Sasuke mutely moved to the car and climbed in. Without the top, the Uchiha found he didn't feel like he was being buried alive. Naruto glanced at him as he climbed in and stared the car. The radio came on; some rock band Sasuke couldn't name blaring through the speakers.

Naruto grinned at the raven as he threw the car into reverse and then drive and peeled off down the street. The blonde made idle conversation about music, pausing randomly to sing along with whichever song was on at the moment. Sasuke couldn't help but smile at the blonde. Naruto's happiness seemed to be infectious.

They hit a long strip of road and the Uzumaki punch the gas pedal. He whooped as the Jeep accelerated and wind whipped around them. He turned to look at the man beside him, a huge grin splitting his face. Blue eyes sparkled in happiness and his hair was pushed back off his face by the wind. Sasuke watched, smiling back at the blonde. Dark eyes drank in the blonde, and Sasuke couldn't deny that he was attracted to this man. He was loud, outgoing, social, and everything Sasuke should shy away from. But all the raven wanted to do was get closer to the man, get pulled into the blonde's world and lose himself. He wanted to throw caution to the wind and take a chance. But it would be a chance that could ruin everything for him. As he looked that the sunny blonde beside him, Sasuke couldn't find it in himself to care.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>This is actually a really fun story to write. I am quite enjoying this. One more chapter before the end of the year, hopefully. Thank you for reading and please leave me a review, they do feed my muse nicely.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Naruto_ in any way, shape, form, or fashion.

**Author's Note: **Enjoy!

_Read, review and please enjoy!_

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><p>Sasuke was nearly glued to Naruto as they weaved their way through the crowded club. The blonde didn't say a word, but the gloom of the club hid the small smile that tugged at his lips. Sasuke was as close to him as he could get without actually clinging to him. Every time someone bumped into the raven, Sasuke flinched away from them. There were a lot of people in the club.<p>

A laughing girl fell backwards, nearly toppling Sasuke over. The raven let out an undignified squeak and would have fallen if Naruto hadn't caught him by the arm. The girl was still laughing with her friends as they helped her up. She apologized with a giggle and was gone as fast as she had appeared.

Sasuke looked stricken and seemed to be unsure of what to do next. Naruto grinned at him, tossing an arm over the Uchiha's shoulders. Sasuke flinched and then relaxed against the blonde's side.

"You okay?" Naruto asked, steering them towards the table where his friends were sitting. He could hear Kiba even over all the talking and music. Sasuke nodded in response, but shrunk closer to the blonde. Naruto was caught somewhere between amused and intrigued. How could a guy he had only met this morning, who seemed to hate human contact, let him touch him like this? Sasuke was quite the intriguing person.

"Hey guys!" The blonde called out to his friends. Sasuke pressed closer and then seemed to get back his composure. He stepped out form the safety of Naruto's body but didn't move more than five inches away from the blonde. Kiba hopped up from his seat to clap the Uzumaki on the shoulder with a loud greeting. Sasuke took in the blonde's group of friends and found he wasn't all that sure about this situation.

Three kids he knew from his own planet were sitting at the table. One was Shikamaru Nara, whose father over saw all the agricultural and nature reserves, and the other two were brothers, Kankurou and Gaara Sabaku, two orphans who had been taken in by one of the nobles. All three were sporting fluffy appendages.

Shikamaru's, whom the Uchiha knew could hid his but never did, were a deep chocolate brown tipped in white. Gaara's were a red so close to his hair color that it was sometimes hard to tell the difference while his older brother's were a sandy color with flecks of deep brown throughout. Sasuke wanted to turn and run. He knew all three would know exactly who he was, even though he was hiding a few very important details. The raven closed his eyes and prayed as hard as he could that none of them would feel the need to rat him out. Not that they would know why he was on earth, he hopped anyway.

The raven tried to keep a broad smile on his face while Naruto introduced him to everyone. It was a large group of friends but he wasn't that surprised. The Uzumaki had always seemed like a social person, and it was glaringly obvious as Sasuke was introduced to each friend. There was Lee, Sakura, Sai, who Sasuke remembered as the quite kid who sat beside him in his art class last semester, Kiba, who Sasuke was sure he'd heard many times when he was on campus but had never seen the man's face, Shikamaru, who raised an eyebrow at the sight of him, Chouji, Neji, Hinata, and the brothers, neither of which seemed surprised to see.

Sasuke let himself be sat down and had to resist the urge to cling to Naruto's hand when the blonde went to get drinks. The raven glared daggers at Naruto's back, silently cursing him and hoping the blonde brought back something strong at the same time. Dark eyes glanced around the table and resisted the urge to blush fiercely. He hated being the center of attention and that was exactly what had happened when Naruto wondered off. A shiver of fear tingled down his spine, but Sasuke used all the Uchiha pride he could muster and kept a straight face.

"So, Sasuke, how did you meet Naruto?" Sasuke paled at Kiba's question and shrugged off the arm that the other man had tossed over his shoulder. There was no way in hell he was going to tell them the truth. He swallowed hard, wishing Naruto back at the table as hard as he could and that the blonde happened to have hard liquor in hand.

"On the way to school this morning," Sasuke replied, keeping as much emotion out of his voice as he could. Kiba raised an eyebrow and smirked like he knew something. Then the Inuzuka frowned, one hand coming up to trace the outline of Sasuke's eye. Sasuke started, jerking back from the other man's touch with a frown. He brought his own hand up to trace the same spot Kiba had.

"What happened?" Sasuke glanced around the table to find an inquiring look on everyone's face. This time the Uchiha did blush. His face felt like it was on fire. The raven tipped his head forward, hiding the blush and his bruises. He'd forgotten about those.

"Nothing," Sasuke muttered. He really wished they would all stop looking at him, especially Shikamaru. The Nara was smart and Sasuke was sure the brunette had already figured him out. Sasuke made a point of not acting like an Uchiha and in fact, had changed a lot in the time he'd been on Earth.

About that time, Naruto finally came back, drinks in hand. Sasuke downed half the glass of vodka on the rocks in one go. The drink burned his throat but Sasuke enjoyed it. Since he'd come to Earth, he'd picked up the slight habit of drinking. Alcohol didn't have as big an effect on their species as it did on humans. It took a whole lot more of the stuff to get them drunk than it did for humans. So when they'd made it through four rounds of drinks, Sasuke was just starting to feel a buzz.

Kiba was way past the point of no return, but, according to Naruto, the Inuzuka was only louder when he was drunk and that was about it. Gaara didn't drink, but Kankurou, on the other hand, sure as hell did. The brunette Sabaku had drunk nearly three times what Sasuke had, but was no drunker than the raven. So Sasuke came to the conclusion that Kankurou either drank on a regular bases or it was something to do with the Sabaku's body. Sasuke suspected both.

Naruto was tipsy and Shikamaru, well, Shikamaru was Shikamaru. The Nara didn't seem to change when he drank. The slight blush across his cheeks was the only indication that he was drinking at all. Hinata seemed to be drunk and was leaning heavily against Chouji. Neji was the only other person who wasn't drinking. Sasuke silently wondered who was going to be driving tonight.

Sasuke was actually managing to have a decent conversation with Sai when the slighter raven was swept out onto the dance floor by a grinning Kiba. The artist laughed loudly and followed happily, getting lost in the crowd with the other man. Shikamaru was the next to disappear with a smirking Kankurou. Hinata, who Sasuke had quickly found out was quite shy, was soon tugging Chouji out on the floor much to the raven's surprise. Neji shrugged.

"She's quite outgoing when drunk," the Hyuuga told him. Sasuke nodded. Apparently she was. Before Sasuke could try a conversation with the Hyuuga, Naruto grabbed him by the hand and pulled him towards the dance floor. Sasuke blinked in confusion at the blonde but he didn't get the chance to snatch his hand back.

Before he knew it, Naruto had pulled them all the way into the middle of the dance floor. The press of people had panic rising in the raven, but strong hands settled on his hips, pulling him close. Sasuke stared up at the smiling face he was coming to know pretty well. Once you had officially met the Uzumaki, you couldn't forget him easily.

Blue eyes sparkled at him even in the glume of the club. Sasuke gripped the larger man's biceps, stepping closer when someone bumped into him from behind. Naruto's chuckle echoed in his ear and warm arms wrapped around the raven.

"I got ya." The Uzumaki's voice was strong and deep, comforting in a way Sasuke couldn't remember anything ever being. Images of what had transpired the morning before flashed through the Uchiha's mind. He remembered the relief he had felt when Naruto had showed up. It had been sudden and completely. He'd gone nearly boneless against the sidewalk as he had watched the blonde beat the living crap out of the other men. And, even though it had been embarrassing to have Naruto carry him, he'd felt safe in those arms, safe in the knowledge that this person was capable of protecting him.

As early into Sasuke's memory, knowing a person at a certain level wasn't something that had inspired trust with in him. His first friend he had met because they man had been assigned to him. He'd been strong, and more than capable of protecting the icy Uchiha child. As the years moved on and the man protected the small raven, risking life and limb for him, Sasuke had come to trust the man before he'd even known the man's background. The biggest inspiration of trust for Sasuke was protection and Naruto had already shown the Uchiha how well he was at protecting someone.

So when Naruto started moving against him, Sasuke moved back. The raven let himself be led into a dance, let the blonde take complete control of the situation. Sasuke thrived in the feeling of letting go and letting someone else take control of a situation. He felt the music pulse around him, joy and excitement surging through his blood.

Sasuke grinned up at the blonde and Naruto smiled back. They moved with the music, occasionally bumping to someone else in the crowd. But the press of the crowd no longer inspired fear in the raven. Naruto had him. And that was enough.

The Uchiha had no clue how long he spent out on that dance floor with Naruto. He enjoyed himself, letting go for the first time in what felt like forever. The next firm and real memory Sasuke had after being dragged out onto the dance floor with the Uzumaki, was the press of warm lips against his own.

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>Please forgive the short chapter. I wanted it out because I'm feeling a bit behind with everything and this felt like a decent stopping point. Hope you enjoyed it despite the short length. Thank you for reading, folks, and remember, reviews make me a very happy writer.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_or any of the characters associated with the series. I also make no money from writing this!

**Author's Note: **I can never apologize for how lazy and unproductive I have been recently. I thank each and every one of you who still had faith in me and this story (If it's any at all.) I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Let's see where this takes us. (I always write the first author's note before the story. So this is the start of the journey for me too.)

_Read, review and please enjoy!_

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><p>Sasuke's eyes snapped open, panic filling his being in a few short seconds. Naruto's body was warm, pressed as close as he could get against the Uchiha. Sasuke felt fear mix with something that he had a hard time identifying. His heart was pounding in his chest, stomach full of butterflies. It only took him a moment to figure it and by then he was jerking away from the blonde.<p>

He stared up at Naruto, eyes wide and cheeks flushed with excitement and adrenaline from the dancing. Sparkling blues eyes opened to meet his and what Sasuke found there scared him. He jerked out of the Uzumaki's hold, the blonde hands grasping at Sasuke's clothing. The raven moved back, bumping into the people behind him. He brought a shaky hand up to cover his mouth. He could still feel the light touch of the blonde's lips against his own, Naruto's body pressed against his.

Excitement disappeared in a wave of panic.

"Sasuke?" Naruto sounded confused and concerned. Sasuke blinked at him once and then turned and ran. The Uchiha shoved people aside, uncaring if the fell over or not. He exited the club at a fast trot to the sound of his name and the protests of the people he shoved out of his way.

He burst out the doors, knocking more people over in the process. There were no "sorry"s for the shouts that followed him as he shot off at a sprint for Naruto's Jeep. The parking lot had been full by the time they got there and Naruto's Jeep was parked a good ways off from the building in a nearby field.

The further he ran the darker it became. Spot lights were spaced sporadically through the field, making bright circles of light that gave away to complete darkness. Sasuke didn't have any issues finding his way. Another perk of being non-human. There was a distinct tingling at the top of his head and the base of his spine.

Sasuke skidded to a stop, heart trying to beat its way out of his chest. He reached a shacking hand up to his head and the grimaced at what he found. He had been so startled by the kiss that he'd lost control of his magic. His two very back fluffy ears, one tipped in crème and the other in caramel, and a long fluffy tail were now very visible to the world.

"Fuck." Sasuke had never been very good at keeping his magic stable in certain situations. If he was really surprised or extremely excited, his natural abilities tended to go haywire. He'd been coached for most of his childhood to no avail. His tail wrapped around his waist on pure instinct and his ears dropped. Fear was winning the war of emotion inside him. As it was, his ears and tail made him very recognizable. His looks usually screamed Uchiha but it was even more when he couldn't hide his fluffy appendages. Everyone from Evayra knew of the little Uchiha who came with tri-colored fur. There had been many rumors that he was not his father's child, and when he had been a child, Sasuke had believed it.

He thanked every god he knew every day that that scandal was less known on Earth, that his family wasn't at the center of every story and rumor on Earth. He was also thankful he lived on Earth under a different last name. If people ever knew for sure he was an Uchiha, he was sunk. Dead. He was dead.

The sound of footsteps coming up fast behind him startled Sasuke out of his thoughts. Wide obsidian eyes stared into the darkness behind him, making out a form a good ways off still. The person reached one of the spotlights and Sasuke cursed again. It was just Naruto. At least it was just Naruto.

_Fuck! It's Naruto! _Sasuke thought through the sudden relief. He scanned the cars ahead of him and spotted the Jeep. It was at the very end of the row, right under a spot light. Sasuke cursed his bad luck.

He started moving at a sprint, sticking to the shadows like he was taught. He focused on hiding the tell-tell sings that would give him away. He was almost to the Jeep before he managed to get his magic under control. The familiar tingling signaled he'd finally succeeded in concealing his hated ears and tail.

Sasuke reached the Jeep first, leaning against it as he tried to calm his heart. Naruto showed up a few minutes later, shouting Sasuke's name as he ran full tilt when he spotted the Uchiha. By the time Naruto reached the car, Sasuke had almost regained composure. He lost half of it when he looked up at the blonde.

Naruto met his gaze and the Uchiha blushed and looked away. The same look Naruto had had in his eyes in the club was still there, but it was less intense now. The blonde stepped forward and Sasuke backed up. Obsidian eyes stared at his feet, not wanting to see the look on Naruto's face.

"Naruto, I can't do this." He kept his voice calm, devoid of the emotions he felt inside him, "I can't be with you or anyone." Naruto's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He took another step forward. He reached for Sasuke but froze when the raven finally looked up at him. His hand fell to his side, tanned fingers grasping at his pants leg.

"What do you mean?" There was an edge of hurt in the blonde's voice and Sasuke resisted the urge to flinch. Blue eyes reflected the emotions in the man's voice, making Sasuke want to turn away even more. Sasuke didn't want to hurt anyone. Enough people had been in pain because of him. He was seek of seeing it. But it was hard to be cold to someone who had saved you and then kissed you.

"I don't do romantic relationships." _I don't want to lose anyone else. _"I'm not good at them. Hell, I'm not good at being friends with people," Sasuke answered, keeping his eyes on the blonde's. Sasuke waited for Naruto to digest the news. He liked the blonde. He really did. He could see himself be friend's with Naruto. Sasuke could see himself trusting the blonde, more so than he already did. He might even be able to love him...But that was something the Uchiha's guarded heart was nearly incapable of letting him do. After a few seconds, Naruto took a step back. His mouth stretched into a thin line as he regarded the raven.

"I won't lie to you. I like you, Sasuke." Sasuke's heart jumped at those words, "I like you a lot." Sasuke huffed at the confession.

"How can you like someone you just met a few hours ago?" _Especially someone like me._ Sasuke leaned back against the Jeep, palms pressed flat against the cool metal. Crickets chirped around them, their music filling the air. It was soothing and peacefully. Very different than the hustle and bustle of the cities Sasuke had lived in.

"I don't know. Does it really matter?' Naruto asked, courage making him take a step towards the raven, "I've always thought you looked good, even with how aloft you were. I wanted to talk to you, but there was just something about you...Like you were screaming at everyone to leave you alone."

_Well, I was, _Sasuke thought, _How could I want to get close to some one when I never know..._Sasuke didn't let himself finish the thought, shaking his head a bit to clear it. He didn't need to think about that. Didn't want to. Raven tresses fell into his eyes and he flicked them away in annoyance. When he looked back up, Naruto was less than a foot away from him.

Sasuke gasped in surprise, pressing himself back against the Jeep. Naruto leaned in close to him, blue eyes almost bright in the darkness. The blonde pressed a hand against the car, face inches away from Sasuke's. The Uchiha's breath hitched slightly at the closeness.

"I'm not asking for marriage, Sasuke," Naruto told him, one hand coming up to cup the Uchiha's cheek, "I only want a date." Sasuke shivered before giving the blonde a dull look. He turned away from side stepped from between the blonde and the Jeep, walking to the closest lamp. He watched a bat dive for its nightly meal as he worked through his thoughts. Evey relationship he'd ever had, no matter how small or large, had ended in despair for the other person. He couldn't risk that, couldn't imagine going through that ever again. There was a soft crunch behind him as Naruto moved towards the raven. Sasuke could feel Naruto walk up behind him. The blonde's presence wasn't as close as before. Naruto was being respectful. Sasuke was thankful for that but he didn't turn around.

_One date my ass, _Sasuke thought, watching as the bat dived and missed. The small creature disappeared easily into the darkness. Sasuke wished he could do that. Leave and disappear without a trace. But traces were always left behind. Sasuke knew that well enough. A few seconds later, it was back out of the darkness and diving again.

"Naruto, you don't know anything about me," Sasuke told him, "You have no idea what...What you would be getting into." The raven wrapped his arms around himself, shivering even though the evening was warm. On some level, Sasuke hated pushing people away, hated having no one around him. There was a part of him that wanted to be loved, needed it. But in his world, that wasn't an option. He had learned early in his life to close himself off from people. He had to keep them away. It was better that way.

"I'm not normal," the raven turned to face Naruto, hands rubbing up and down his arms in an attempt to case off the chill his thoughts brought on.

"Who said I wanted normal?" the Uzumaki asked, watching the Uchiha closely. Sasuke sighed. This man was more stubborn than Sasuke's father. He watched Naruto for a moment, taking in the small flex of his jaw as the blonde grit his teeth, the clench of his fists pulling at the muscles in his arms, the way his shaggy hair fell partly in his face. Naruto's eyes hid nothing from him. Sasuke liked that the most.

"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" Sasuke asked, arms falling to his sides in defeat. He didn't have the will to argue with the blonde. He was tired of pushing and fighting against the people who never meant to harm him. He was tired...tired of being alone. And if anyone could handle the horror that was Sasuke's life, it was the Uzumaki. Naruto grinned at him, mirth sparkling in his eyes.

"No, I'm not. I just want a date," Naruto said cheerfully, "After the one date, you can decided." Sasuke resisted the urge to sigh again. He knew that it wasn't going to stop at one date. Naruto was just too tempting, too much of everything the Uchiha wanted and need. Sasuke couldn't say no.

"Fine," the Uchiha conceded, "But only one." He held up one finger, a smile tugging at his lips. Naruto's face broke into an even bigger grin, which Sasuke was sure was impossible.

"Come on then," Sasuke said as he moved back towards the Jeep, one hand patting Naruto on the chest as he walked by, "We can discuss this 'date' while you drive me home." The blonde followed him happily.

Sasuke climbed into the car with a sigh. Naruto followed behind him, locking the doors with a soft click.

The raven watched as Naruto cranked the car up and started backing out of the space. Sasuke had no way of knowing if he was making the right choice. He didn't know if it would work out with the blonde, didn't know how Naruto would take finding out who -what- he was. The only sure thing in his life, was that he was an Uchiha and that death followed him. It followed him where ever he went and had eyes just like his. Eyes that could look into your soul and condemn you with one look.

And death would come. As sure as Sasuke breathed, death would come. And it would leave with something precious. It always did.

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>Finally getting some where with this. So, since I am horrid at coming up with date ideas, why don't you guys give me suggestions? Just message me or leave a review. If I get five-ten I will put up a poll and you guys will get to pick. If not, well, I guess I'll just have to figure something out. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are much appreciated!


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